Fleet management systems & fleet GPS tracking have been around for a few years now. It’s become ubiquitous among fleets worldwide and has evolved to become more complex to address various needs and is what we now know to be Field Resource Management.
Many organizations constantly check their system to streamline operations. Others occasionally use it to protect themselves from theft or legal liabilities of an employee driving company vehicles without permission. Field Resource Management can help your business save time & money, keep your fleet safe, and increase sustainability. In today’s article, we’ll list five great reasons why every fleet needs to manage its resources in the field – no matter how big or small.
#1 Theft Recovery
Vehicle theft costs us a lot, more than $6 billion was lost nationwide, with the average dollar loss per vehicle being a whopping $8,886. If you have a fleet of vehicles you manage for your business, these losses can be catastrophic.
While GPS tracking devices don’t always prevent theft, they certainly help you recover stolen property quickly. One of our customers, Specialty Doors and Automation, discovered this recently. When one of their work trucks vanished from a job site, Specialty Doors used their FieldLogix GPS vehicle trackers to locate their vehicle in minutes. Edy, President at Specialty, said, “Thanks to our GPS, we retrieved a stolen vehicle within 30 minutes of the theft. They did manage to get some tools off the truck, but we showed up during the process and got the truck and materials back!!! Thank you!”
#2 Driver Safety
Aggressive drivers are 66% more likely to cause a fatal accident. Fleet management systems can help change driver behavior for the better, cutting down on safety incidents and violations. The fact that drivers are aware that their driving activity is recorded will force them to be more conscientious about their driving habits. Without a form of accountability, they will be more likely to speed and drive aggressively. Monitoring your drivers also protects them and backs them up with proof of safe driving practices should any safety or other violations occur.
Here are key features which are an absolute MUST to monitor driver safety effectively:
Use our accident risk calculator to learn your accident risk…
Accident Risk Calculator
Accident Risk Calculator
#3 Employee Litigation
We often encounter instances where an employee may bring legal action against an employer for issues such as unpaid overtime or unpaid wages. In many cases, these fleet operators must retrieve GPS tracking records from prior years to present a strong defense in court. Often, this data is the only defense that the fleet operators have to absolve themselves of any wrongdoing. Fleet management systems detail all of your driver’s activity, which you can retrieve, should you find yourself in any legal issues.
As if that isn’t enough, The Association of Certified Fraud Examiners says that payroll fraud is the #1 source of losses to US businesses.
Fleet management systems can help in this area in several ways. First, we will record the time and location as your drivers start working each day. This data is often used to verify the accuracy of timesheets that might be missing location data. We also record each time they stop their vehicles and show you whether they were in any of your job sites. These time and location stamped records can be matched against any other job activity records that your techs provide to verify them.
#4 Vehicle Maintenance
According to Automotive Fleet, the average breakdown cost is $634, per driver, per day! This is due to driver downtime due to the loss of the vehicle, vehicle rental costs, and high emergency repair costs.
We help you proactively schedule maintenance needs through our system to reduce the likelihood of surprise vehicle breakdowns. You can create unlimited maintenance schedules to get reminders when the vehicles are approaching your mileage thresholds.
#5 Greater Sustainability
Inefficient routing often leads to wasted fuel and dissatisfied clients. Field Resource Management enables you to make cost-efficient routing decisions that help you quickly dispatch routes to your drivers and leverage two-way driver communication. More efficient routes mean completing more deliveries per route and less fuel wasted.
Planning delivery routes and dispatching drivers has become more efficient and accessible than ever because of recent innovations.
Here are some features that improve sustainability:
To stay competitive in the transportation industry, all fleets need a basic Field Resource Management system. FieldLogix is one of the leading providers of innovative and award-winning solutions for managing your whole fleet from anywhere on any device. Fill out the form below and learn how our system can help you thrive!